About us

MOTS is an artistic duo founded by Diogo Ruas from Porto and Jagoda Cierniak from Opole. Diogo is a painter, muralist, and illustrator associated with graffiti and street art since 2000. Jagoda is a photographer, coordinator of artistic and social projects, and a graduate in contemporary culture from the Jagiellonian University. They have been creating together since 2017. Their first joint project was a mural in Porto, integrated into the landscape of the old city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
MOTS’ works primarily consist of murals, paintings, and interdisciplinary projects. The main themes of their creativity are abstract forms and shapes inspired by surrealist depictions of emotions and everyday life, sometimes reacting to social issues.

The artists are known for their murals in public spaces throughout Europe. They have collaborated and created works for some of the most important organizations and festivals associated with street art, including URBAN NATION, STRAAT Museum, Calle Libre, POW! WOW! Rotterdam (All Caps), Spacejunk, GAU. Their works can be seen in nearly 30 European cities, including Porto, Lisbon, Strasbourg, Amsterdam, Opole, Berlin, Luxembourg, Innsbruck, Grenoble, Athens, and Tirana.

For any questions, project ideas or requests don’t hesitate to contact us – contact@mots.pt // umotsmots@gmail.com 

social media: instagram // behance

SELECTED ART PROJECTS

2024 WOOL Covilhā // Portugal

2024 STRAAT Museum – painting for permanent exhibition // Netherlands

2024 Futura Tudela / Asalto // Spain

2023 Colors Urban Art Festival Strasbourg // France

2023/2024 Grenoble Street Art Festival // France

2023 Spacejunk / Rillieux Street Art Residency // France

2022 DIRECTION | INSTRUCTION / STRAAT Museum Gallery // group show, Netherlands

2022 FENDA Festival // Portugal

2022 Calle Libre Festival Vienna // Austria

2022 mural project for the Luxembourg City

2021 POW! WOW! Rotterdam // Netherlands

2021 UNDERBRIDGE Festival Innsbruck // Austria

2021 GAU – Galeria de Arte Urbana Lisbon // Portugal

2021 Solo exhibition Objectum – URBAN NATION Fresh A.I.R. // Germany

2020 Street Money group show – Galerie Sakura // France

2020 Fondo Galego de Cooperación – Muros que unen // award // Spain

2019 Writer’s Block // Netherlands

2019 Mural Fest Tirana // Albania

2019 IBUG Festival // Germany

2019 Collective art show. 7 years, Circus Network // Portugal

2017 mural for city of Porto // Portugal

2016 ARTURb – United Artists in Residence LAC // Portugal

2016 Who Let The Dogs Out, Circus Network // Portugal

2016 Conflict – Underdogs Pop Up Store Porto // Portugal